Wire case having sheet metal bottom



Nov. 18, 1958 R. A. BRUCE 2,860,808

WIRE CASE HAVING SHEET METAL BOTTOM Filed July 20, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fzzde 222 02" Nov. 18, 1958 R. A. BRUCE 0,

WIRE CASE HAVING SHEET METAL BOTTOM Filed July 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .70 J0 t I i in I l m y i i f m I I i In Vezz Z02 30522 5 04. Erace OZ Ziorrzgyfl United States Patent-O WIRE CASE HAVING SHEET METAL BOTTOM Robert A. Bruce, Keosauqua, Iowa, assignor to Barker Equipment Company, Keosauqua, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application July 20, 1956, Serial No. 599,241

Claims. (Cl. 22019) Letters Patent No. 2,512,517.

Open Wire-work cases, as is wellknown, are generally considered more substantial, durable and capable of rough handling as compared to similar cases made essentially of wood. Wire-work cases also possess the advantage of being capable of quick and easy cleansing for insuring proper sanitation. Open wire-work cases possess. the further .advantage of providing adequate air circulation around the contents therein so that the contents may be readily refrigerated or cooled.

Cases of the general type constituting the subject matter of this invention are subjected to severe handling in use and, unless adequately reinforced, become damaged or deformed. When such cases are provided with a single sheet metal bottom having perforations therein, damage frequently results to cardboard milk containers, especially when said cartons tend to slide across the bottom.

One of the disadvantages of open wire-work cases is that they'are usually constructed so as not to provide adequate protection for the case and its contents, and not sufficiently sturdy and rugged to'withstand the severe service requirements to which they are normally sub- ;jected. Such cases, when used in the dairy industry, are subjected to severe blows and impacts, such as on moving dolly trucks, conveyors, and in process of manual-handling. Frequently, such cases are caused to be bumped together, and sometimes under substantial loads or pressures, tend to cause the frame wire of one case to override the frame wire of another, such as when cases are being conveyed around a corner.

One of the many objects of this invention is to provide an open wire-work carrying case which is sufficiently sturdy and rugged in construction so as to be capable of withstanding the normal rough and severe handling without damage to the case or its contents.

Another object is to provide a novel open wire-work case having a rugged reinforced bottom.

A further object is to provide a novel open wirework case having a reinforcing structure for the bottom stacking ring of the case. I

connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the wire-work case embodyingthe present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the case, taken as indicated on line 22 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially as indicated on line 3 3on Figure 2. a

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the case taken substantially as indicated at'line 4-4 on Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the case.

The upwardly open wire-work case, as represented in the drawings, includes an upper perimeter frame wire 10, and a lower perimeter frame wire '11, of substantially rectangular shape. These two wires, which are of generally ring formation, are of substantially congruent outline. Interconnecting the upper and lower frame wires 10 and '11 area plurality of vertical wires 12 which, as shown, are of generally hairpin formation, and are secured by .welding to the respective frame wires- 10 and 11. Surrounding the vertical wires and rigidly attached thereto, such'as by welding, are auxiliary perimeter wires 14 and 15. i e

The bottom of the case is formed of a plurality of spaced apart, substantially parallel, bottom wires '16, secured attheir opposite ends, as by welding, to the underside of the lower frame Wire 11. Each of the bottom. wires is formed with -a series of spaced apart bends 17,'thereby providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart straight offset portions-18, By virtue of the bends and offsets formed in these bottom wires, each of the Wires becomes greatly increased'in strength.

The offset portions 18, ofthe respective bottom Wires are arranged in aligned series, and mounted on each series of offset portions '18 is a sheet metal slat 20 of channel'- shaped cross section, having dependingflanges 21. The flanges are continuous and therebyprovide a relatively strong structural-like H element. Each of the. slats is secured in place to the respective offset portions 18 of the bottom wires by welding, and the' flange portions 21 thereof seat firmly against the inclined upper surfaces of the bend portion 17 of said wires, as clearly seen in Figure 4of the drawingsl "It will thus be apparent that, by virtue of the bottom structure comprising the novel form of bottom wires and channelTshaped slats, that the bottom of the case possesses great strength and is relatively'rugged to withstand normal and severe'handling.

Extending transversely ofrthe bottom wires 16 is a reinforcing wire or rod 25, which is seated in the aligned bends i the bottomwire's 16 preferably along one of the medial axes of the case. Because of the relative heights of the upperfsurface of the bottom of the bend portions 17 'of'the bottom wires, in relation to the lower frame wire 11, the outer end portions of the reinforcing wire 25 are'downwardly offset,- as clearly seen in Figure 3, with the extreme end portions of said wire 25 welded to the underside of the lower frame wire 11. Preferably, although not necessarily, said wire 25 may also be welded at its pointsof contact with the bend portion 17 of the bottom wires. desired, the bendportions 17 in the bottom wires may be made somewhat deeper sotha t the reinforcing wit-e25 employedcould be straight throughu i length- Secured to the outer j end portions[of .-the undersides of the bottom wires 16, as by welding, and to the under surface of the end portions of the reinforcing wire 25, as by welding, is a rectangular stacking ring 28. The stacking ring, as is well known, is of the same general configuration as the upper frame wire 10, but of lesser transverse dimensions so that when two cases are superimposed o'ne upon the other the stacking ring of the upper case will fit down into the lower case inside of the upper Patented Nov. 18,

ring to the case proper.

frame wire 10, as well as inside the vertical wires 12, in a manner similar to that taught in my United States Letters Patent 2,512,517. By virtue of the stacking ring being secured at opposite ends to the endsof the reinforcing wire 25, it is nowpossible, for the first time, to provide suitable reinforcement of all sides of the stacking ring. Heretofore, cases as produced did not provide reinforcement and connection of all sides of the stacking It will be apparent that in the absence of the connection of the stacking ring to the ends of the reinforcing wire 25, the two opposite sides of the stacking ring would be totally unsupported. In cases as heretofore produced, such a construction resulted in portions of the stacking ring being bent upwardly, sometimes to an extent so as to contact the bottom of the case. This defect in construction presents problems in the process of placing cases one against the other, as there would be a tendency for one case to ride upwardly onto another adjacent case. By virtue of the present construction, the stacking ring is adequately reinforced at all sides so that it tends at all times to remain in its original relation to the bottom of the case.

Because of the tendency for cases to override one another in process of handling, such as on a conveyor, frequently the vertical wires of the case become damaged, especially at their lower portions. To reinforce the vertical wires to withstand rugged handling, I provide a pair of perimeter reinforcing wires 30 extending across opposite sides of the case and welded to the vertical wires 12, and extending for a short distance around the two adjacent sides of the case. These reinforcing wires 30 are positioned a short distance above the lower frame wire 11, and have their opposite ends bent downwardly into engagement with, and welded to, the lower frame wire 11. Each of these wires 30 have one or more portions, as indicated at 31 intermediate the length thereof, bent downwardly into engagement with, and are welded to, the lower frame wire 11. By virtue of this construction, the ends of the wire case have their vertical wires greatly reinforced in the zone most usually subjected to impact or blows in processing or handling of the cases.

Although I have shown and described a preferred embodiment in my invention, manifestly it is capable of modification and rearrangement without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, except as I may be so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an open wire-work carrying case of generally rectangular shape with an open top, an upper perimeter frame wire, a lower perimeter frame wire, said frame wires being of substantially congruent shapes, upright wires secured to said frame wires, a plurality of spaced apart bottom wires, secured at their ends to opposite por- I tions of said lower frame wire, said bottom wires each having a series of longitudinally spaced, upwardly disposed, straight otfset portions, said offset portions of said bottom wires being aligned in sets, and a plurality of bottom slats of channel shape in cross-section, with the flanges thereof extending downwardly, seated on and secured to the respective sets of offset portions of the bottom wires.

2. In an open wire-work carrying case of generally rectangular shape with an open top, an upper perimeter frame wire, a lower perimeter frame wire, said frame wires being of substantially congruent shapes, upright Wires secured to said frame wires, a plurality of spaced apart bottom wires, secured at their ends to opposite portions of said lower frame wire, said bottom wires each having a series of longitudinally spaced, upwardly disposed, straight offset portions, said offset portions of said bottom wires being aligned in sets, and a plurality of bottom slats of channel shape in cross-section, with the flanges thereof extending downwardly, mounted on and welded to the respective sets of offset portions of the bottom wires, with the underside of the web of said slats seated on said flat offset portions.

3. In an open wire-work carrying case of generally rectangular shape with an open top, an upper perimeter frame wire, a lower perimeter frame wire, said frame wires being of substantially congruent shapes, upright wires secured to said frame wires, a plurality of spaced apart bottom wires, secured at their ends to opposite portions of said lower frame wire, said bottom wires each having a series of bends providing a series of longitudinally spaced, upwardly disposed, straight offset portions, said offset portions of said bottom wires being aligned in sets, and a plurality of bottom slats of channel shape in cross-section, with the flanges thereof extending downwardly into said bends in the bottom wires, seated on and secured to the respective sets of offset portions of the bottom wires.

4. In an open wire-work carrying case of generally rectangular shape with an open top, an upper perimeter frame wire, a lower perimeter frame wire, said frame wires being of substantially congruent shapes, upright wires secured to said frame wires, a plurality of spaced apart bottom wires, secured at their ends to opposite portions of said lower frame wire, a reinforcing wire extending transversely of and engaging said bottom wires and secured at its opposite ends to said lower frame wire, and a stacking ring separate from the lower frame wire and secured to the under surface of said bottom wires and to the end portion of said reinforcing wire, said stacking ring being of lesser transverse dimensions than the corresponding dimensions of the upper frame wire.

5. In an open wire-work carrying case of generally rectangular shape with an open top, an upper perimeter frame wire, a lower perimeter frame wire, said frame wires being of substantially congruent shapes, upright wires secured to said frame wires, a plurality of spaced apart bottom wires, secured at their ends to opposite portions of said lower frame Wire, said bottom wires each having a series of longitudinally spaced, upwardly disposed, straight offset portions, said offset portions of said bottom wires being aligned in sets, a plurality of sheet metal slats seated upon and welded to the respective sets of offset portions of the bottom wires, a reinforcing wire extending transversely of and seated on said bottom wires, intermediate a pair of adjacent sets of offset portions, and having its opposite ends secured to the underside of said lower frame wire, and a stacking ring separate from the lower frame wire and secured to the under surface of said bottom wires andsaid reinforcing wire, said stacking ring being of lesser transverse dimensions than the corresponding dimensions of the upper frame wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,706,064 Vitols Apr. 12, 1955 2,721,671 Averill Oct. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,026,525 France Feb. 4, i953 

